Customers who only buy landline services from BT are set to get at least £5 a month taken off their bills under plans set out by the telecoms regulator, Ofcom. It said those customers, who are often elderly or vulnerable, were not getting value for money. BT has nearly 80% of the UK landline market, […]

Voters are going to the polls in by-elections in Stoke-on-Trent Central and Copeland. Polling stations will be open from 07:00 until 22:00 GMT. Voting will take place as Storm Doris, forecast to bring heavy rain and winds of 80mph, is expected to cross central and northern parts of England. The contests follow the resignations of […]

Iraqi security forces have launched an attack on Mosul airport, a key part of the government’s offensive to drive so-called Islamic State (IS) militants from the western half of the city. They also stormed the nearby al-Ghazlani military camp, where fierce clashes were under way, AP reported. The runway has already been destroyed by IS, […]

Parts of the UK are braced for travel disruption as Storm Doris arrives with winds of up to 90mph. Severe weather warnings are in place across some of northern England, East Anglia, north Wales and the Midlands, with snow expected in Scotland. Flights have been cancelled at Heathrow Airport and commuters have been warned to […]

Lloyds Banking Group has reported its highest annual profit in a decade, helped by a reduction in payment protection insurance (PPI) provisions. Pre-tax profits increased by 158% to £4.24bn, a level last seen in 2006 before the financial crisis. Provisions for PPI declined from £4bn to £1bn. The UK government’s stake in Lloyds has now […]

The Supreme Court is to rule on whether an income barrier stopping thousands of British citizens from bringing a foreign spouse to the UK is lawful. As of 2012, Britons must earn more than £18,600 before a husband or wife from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) can settle in the UK. Critics claim 15,000 […]

Peers have been urged to “respect” voters’ decision to leave the EU as they began debating the Brexit bill. With Prime Minister Theresa May taking the unusual step of sitting in the Lords to watch the opening speeches, Leader of the House Baroness Evans said peers must not “frustrate” Brexit. But Labour said “reasonable changes” […]

Shares in HSBC have fallen after the bank reported a steeper-than-expected fall in annual profits. It reported a $7.1bn (£5.7bn) pre-tax profit for 2016, down 62% on the $18.9bn reported a year earlier. HSBC attributed the fall to a string of one-off charges, including the sale of its operations in Brazil. HSBC said its performance […]

Plans have been put forward to cut hospital services in two-thirds of England, a BBC analysis shows. The proposals have been made by local NHS bosses as part of a national programme to transform the health service and save money. They include everything from full closures of hospitals to cutting some specialist services such as […]

Theresa May has said she looks forward to welcoming Donald Trump to the UK later this year after discussing his planned state visit on the phone. Last month’s invitation, coming so soon after the US President took office, has proved highly controversial. Speaker John Bercow has said Mr Trump should not address Parliament during the […]